


You're not alone

by Psianabel



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Gen, Sora struggling with his heart, a post KH3 where everything is fine, gummiphones are still a thing, post kh3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-12
Updated: 2019-02-12
Packaged: 2019-10-27 02:09:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,703
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17757785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Psianabel/pseuds/Psianabel
Summary: "The heaviness in his heart was gone, the shared place inside him suddenly empty and his heart alone for the first time since he can even remember. It was obvious to him he would have to face that eventually, but that it hit him this hard … he'd never imagine.He was able to carry around so much hurt, he forgot how it was to live without it."Sora struggles getting used to his heart, but thankfully a certain light from the past keeps him company.





	You're not alone

Sora didn't budge at all at the noises coming from outside, the small town on the main island of Destiny Island already being lively and busy in these late morning hours. Even the burning sun coming through his window and tickling his cheek didn't bother him – he was rolled up in his blanket and far too deep asleep to even notice.   
  
It would take almost another half an hour before he shifted slightly in his sleep, only to turn away from the shining light that pierced through his closed eyelids. He sighed, and that was about it. His sleep continued.  
  
Suddenly a familiar _ringtone_ sounded in Sora's ears and that was the first time his tight grip of sleep loosened, his eyes squinting as the feeling of reality was coming closer to him. The sound grew louder and louder, joined now by a vibration against wood that was so unpleasant, Sora finally managed to open his eyes – even if it only was half lidded.   
  
His sight was blinded by the light in his room and he almost shut his eyes again if it weren't for the _annoying gummiphone_ on his nightstand that kept making noises. He gathered all his strength and blinked a few times before he managed to finally lift himself up, the blanket around him pooling down at his hips and rubbed his sleepy face with the back of his hand while he grabbed for the phone beside him, missing it a few times before he actually got it.  
  
It was still ringing and Sora barely made out the green symbol on it, lazily tapping on it and the connection was made.  
  
 _“... We really woke him up.”  
  
_ The combination between the voice and the picture on the phone now let Sora open his eyes wide and sitting up straight, he stopped rubbing his face and blinked a few times to _hopefully_ get rid of his sleepy sight.  
  
“Riku!”   
  
_“Sora, it's almost lunch time and you promised to meet us at the docks before we go over and eat.”  
  
_ The realization was written all over his face. He clutched the phone and sighed.  
  
“Oh. That was today …”  
  
 _“We will wait for you at the docks, okay?”_ Kairi stepped into the sight and smiled at the screen. _“Don't keep us waiting too long, Sora.”_  
  
 _“Get some clothes and cheer up. Sleeping in isn't the end of the world.”_  
  
Seeing both of them smiling towards him warmed Sora's heart and an equal smile formed on his face, nodding then.  
  
 _“Alright, see you then!”_  
  
“See you!”  
  
The screen went black and Sora kept on clutching the phone in his hands, his smile slowly vanishing into a deep sigh. He looked around in his room and found his clothes scattered across the floor – those he took off before he went to sleep and those which he wanted to wear today.   
  
It would have been easy to pick them up and put them in their proper place, but he just … didn't.   
  
Sora placed the gummiphone from where he took it and let himself fall onto his pillow behind him again, covering his face with both his hands.   
  
“Come on, Sora, get up.” He mumbled to himself, his words drowned in his hands.  
  
But the strength to do just that wasn't there and instead he rolled onto his side, clenching his hand into a fist over his heart and pressed against his chest while he curled up on top of his blanket.   
  
The _ache_ inside him didn't vanish since weeks, the dread in his muscles and bones stronger than he ever experienced. An ache that was more … _emptiness_ than heaviness like he knew of, the ache he learned how to accept and face.  
  
But this was new.   
  
The heaviness in his heart was gone, the shared place inside him suddenly empty and his heart alone for the first time since he can even remember. It was obvious to him he would have to face that eventually, but that it hit him this hard … he'd never imagine.   
  
He was able to carry around so much hurt, he forgot how it was to live without it.  
  
The hand over his heart began to tremble, he clenched his eyes shut as it moved over to his whole arm and body, gritting his teeth in an attempt to keep it down. He was shaking, _struggling_ to keep the ache contained – but it spread across his whole body and consumed everything he felt in a broad intense pain no matter how much he tried to fight against it. It let his lungs burn from exhaustion – and after a while, his body simply gave up trying.  
  
He collapsed numb on his bed, barely breathing and feeling his limbs, his sight too blurry to make out even the slightest shapes. His vision went black and Sora was on the edge to slip away to sleep again.  
  
 _“Need some help, again?”_  
  


Yet a gentle warmth contained him in the reality by a thread, soothing over his limb body like a hushed whisper, filling his sight with a light that didn't hurt his eyes – and instead slowly swept away the numbness that lingered, leaving a feeling behind that was similar to when a body part fell asleep and woke up again.  
  
Sora blinked as the feeling in his body returned, getting adjusted to the bright light that formed in front of him. He clenched and unclenched his hands, the tingling still there, but the rest of his body still refused to move as he tried to lift himself up.   
  
_“Take it easy, okay?”  
  
_ This voice – Sora couldn't point it out exactly, but a familiar feeling washed over him, that it was someone who he could trust even in this vulnerable situation he was in. He heard this voice before, he was sure about that.  
  
The light materialized and formed a shape – Sora's eyes grew wide when he could make out a person standing in his room now.  
  
Still engulfed by the shining light, a grey-haired boy with a red scarf and black vest appeared, having a genuine smile on his face as he walked closer to Sora's bed, stopping there for a moment to catch Sora's curious eyes. He could see his confusion in his face and couldn't help but let out a small smile.  
  
“You … you're...” Sora's thoughts ran wild. He didn't really understand why or how – but he let that slide for the moment. All that was important now that the presence of this boy let his energy come back, the light he radiated filling him with strength again.   
  
The boy sat down on the edge of the bed beside him, not saying a word, and Sora watched him as he put his hand on his shoulder, the light flooding into him like a gentle wave of the sea against the shore – refreshing, welcoming, and Sora gasped at the sudden _warmth_ that filled his heart's empty space.  
  
The boy smiled, satisfied with the outcome.   
  
“Feeling better?”  
  
Sora breathed in deeply. He didn't need to gasp for air anymore and decided to try another attempt to move his body – and this time he succeeded, pushing himself up to sit up again, looking at his hands as the last tingling feelings vanished. Sora beamed and the boy couldn't help but mirror the reaction.  
  
“Thank you. … You saved me again. I owe you twice now!”  
  
“Please, it's nothing.” The boy waved it off and stood up again, his back facing Sora now and taking a few steps forward. “Sometimes we all just need a little help. And that is okay.”   
  
Sora was still in awe how fast he recovered, but decided not to push it and simply took the boy's sitting spot on the bed.   
  
“I've been … struggling a lot lately.” He moved his hand over his heart again. “This emptiness … I knew it would come to this, but I still wasn't prepared. And I just shrugged it off, hid it from my friends.”  
  
The boy turned around to him and saw Sora briefly sunk his head, but immediately looked up again with an optimistic smile and stood up, clenching his hand into a fist.  
  
“But not anymore. I can do this!”  
  
The optimism let the boy chuckle. “You have a strong light. And that light led me towards you. You are never alone, no matter how empty your heart feels. There will always be someone who will find their way back, thanks to you.”  
  
Sora tilted his head, but seemed to understand what he meant.  
  
“So, thank you, Sora.”  
  
The strong light from before engulfed the boy again, his body slowly completely swallowed by it. Sora could make out he was smiling, content and happy with what was happening.  
  
“W-wait,” Sora took a step forward and reached out to him, “you haven't told me your name yet!”   
  
“Huh? Oh.” The boy looked at him again. He pondered for a second, but nodded then – he too took a step forward and closed the distance between him and Sora, walking right towards him and the light clashed with Sora's body. It vanished around him in small star pieces and Sora took a deep breath at the sudden warmth washing over him.   
  
_“The name's Ephemer.”  
  
_ In just a blink of an eye a keyblade appeared in Sora's right hand, similar to what his Kingdom Key looked like, yet this time the handle was blue and the key ended with a star instead of a cut out crown – Sora lifted the keyblade up to inspect it, but before he could properly do that it transformed into his well-known Kingdom Key.  
  
“Huh?”  
  
 _“Your heart is your guiding key. Never forget that.”  
  
_ For a few moments Sora stood in his room, trying to process what just happened. He desummoned his keyblade and his eyes landed on his clothes on the floor – _right_ , he wanted to meet up with Riku and Kairi!  
  
Quickly he gathered all the messy stuff together and put on some fresh clothes, running out of his house as fast as he could. And if they ask him why he was even later than expected, he could always tell them he made a new friend along the way -   
  
_“Thank you, Ephemer.”_  
  


 


End file.
